Multiple sole blank



v 20, 1932. 'pgus gss 1,891,757

MULTIPLE SOLE BLANK Filed Marohe, 1930,

INVENTOR Malian flaws 13355.

B Y .3 8am, Z ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 20, 1932 lumen nousn'xnss, on YEQRIL: N- Y;

nuL'rLr E' soLn BLANK.

Application filed March 6,

My present invention, while capable of a wide range of utility for cutting blanks from skins finds its preferred embodiment in the sole cutting art.

An object of the invention is to provide a cutting method by which a maximum number of sole blanks of a given size for welt shoes or turn shoes may be cut from a bend or other section of skin.

Another object is toprovide a method of cutting blanks or blocks which will practically eliminate waste of leather between die cuts and considerably minimize the waste in-, cidentalto the presenceof brand marks, grub holes or the like in the skin.' 7 7 Another object is to provide a cutting method by. which the butt section of bend or other less desirable portions of a section of skin may be most effectively utilized.

Another object is to provide a method of cutting which, while utilizing substantially all of the skin will, nevertheless permit the blanks to be cut with size notches or size teeth at their ends.

Another object of the invention is to, provide a blank from which soles of any style (within a given size range) may be cut, economy of leather being eitected by the design of the blank and the interfitting or'interlocking of adjacent blanks as opposed to skimping on material and rendering. it difficult or impossible for a shoemaker to round certain styles of soles from the blanks.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a single blank or block from which two soles may be cut, whereby great economy of material is effected by the provision of a common rounding margin between soles instead of a complete margin around each sole, as is now the custom.

Another object of the invention. is to provide a sole blank and a method of sole cutting which will greatly facilitate the work of the cutter and will render unnecessary expert calculations by the cutter as to the best way to utilize the material available.

With all forms of the invention, whether single, double or a. combination otsingle and double blanks are used, the blanks interfit 1930. Serial No. 433,577.

with a plurality of surrounding ones and great economy of material is effected.

Where double sole blanks are used, each blank consists of a body having a generally enlarged central portion and a pair of reduced rounded tongues or extensions at each end. The blank, while not properly symmetrical, is s@ designed-that when bisected upon any axis, it is subdivisible into aipair of sections of equal size and shape. Generally speaking, when rounding a pair of soles from this blank, the fore-part of the soles are cut from the enlarged central section of the body, while the shanks" and heel portions are. cut from the reduced curved portions at the ends of the blank. The blank provides for a common rounding margin between the two soles tobe cut; therefrom, thus eliminating the waste which new occurs in cutting single sole blanks and each of them withv a complete rounding margin. Furthermore, the expedient of providing the rounded reduced ends of the blanks from which: to cut the heel portions of the soles, permits interfitting of these reduced ends with a series of similar ends of an adjacent row of similar blanks. By thus eliminating the square heel portions now commonly employed in the so-called Knox blocking method, a tremendous economy of material is effected, since two adjacent rows 'ofdouble blanks have at least one heel section of each blank cut from a common strip of leather. r The double sole blank is shaped on the hexagonal principle for intimately fitting with six abutting blanks having axes 'parallel'to the central one. This arrangement, of course, is conducive to an accurate repetition of similar die cuts along lines predetermined by the first cut with economic utilization of substantially the entire bend and permits cutting the bend into a series of similar double sole blanks, each completely surrounded blank, due to the hexagonal principle employed in the blank shape, serving as the hub or common intersection blank of three intersecting rows of similar blanks.

The invention may be more fully understood irom' the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a bend of leather showing the manner in which the bend may be divided into double sole blanks, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the blanks or blocks showing in dot and dash lines, the manner in which a shoemaker rounds a pair of soles from the block.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 'of the drawing, an important factor in the economy of material, which is effected by the present blanking method, is the particular shape of the double sole blank employed. This blank, as seen in Fig. 2, consists of a central enlarged portion 11, of generally trapezoidal shape with coaxial curved tongues or tabs 12 projecting from opposite ends thereof and having their major axes coincident with the central longitudinal axis of the body, that is to say, with the axis which is parallel to the two exposed substantially straight marginal edges of the body. This figure presents six peripheral edge sections adapted to interlock or interfit with corresponding sections of six surrounding blanks. i

It will be noted that the blank conforms to the well known hexagonal principle which permits close interfitting with six adjacent blanks, to utilize substantially the entire area of the available leather in the bend and makes each completely surrounded blank the common intersection member of three intersecting rows of blanks. The figure is obviously far from a true hexagon but the hexagonal interfitting principle, in its construction may be readily traced. When I refer in the claims of this case to roughly hexagonal blanks it will be understood that I am referring'to blanks out on the hexagonal principle rather than to blanks of true hexagon shape. Considered from the standpoint of the hexagonal interfitting principle, the blank is provided with four compoundly curvilinear sides and two substantially straight parallel sides. The parallel sides, indicated at A and B are the two exposed edges of the body and the four curvilinear sides are constituted by the longer tonguedefining peripheral sections C, D, and the shorter cooperating tongue-defining edges E and F. The sharply curved ends of sections 0 and E and D and F merge into each other at the rounded tips of the tongues and the less sharply curved ends of these sections merge into the fiat edge surface A and 13..

When a series of these figures are laid cut op a skin or a band 13 of leather as seen in Fig. 1, marginal portion A of one blank, will abut portion B of an adjacent one, margin portion C of the blank will abut the portion D of a second adjacent one, and margin porother but I have found it advisable to retain they serve no necthe triangular pieces since essary function in the blanks themselves and do afford sufficient material for the cutting of size notches or teeth 15 at both ends of the blanks at the tips of the tongues).

It is obvious that no quired in cutting a bend of leather with a double sole blank die shaped in accordance with this invention. The operator simply starts at one of the prime corners of the bend and repeats the cuts in longitudinal rows until the butt end of the bend is reached, whereupon he cuts a second parallel row of blanks along cutting lines definedby the first row and repeats this operation until the maximumnumber of double sole blanks have been cut. By properly gauging the size blank, i. e., the size of the soles-to be cut from it, relatively to the length and width of the bend (which, of course varies in both dimensions) each bend can be efiiciently utilized. In the present instance, there are six longitudinal rows of double sole blanks, all say for #5 size. If the blank were a little wider possibly seven rows of #4 size could be cut or if it were a little narrower, four rows of #6. It is a matter of simple calculation to prede termine the particular size of blank which may be cut from any sized bend in the most economical fashion.

As the cutter reaches the less desirable butt end 13 of the bend there will, of course,

special skill is rebe additional available leather of insufiicient I the blanks shaped in accordance with the present invention, due first to the omission of square corners and second, to the provision of a common rounding margin at 20, between the soles (Fig. 2) the shape and size of the blanks are conducive to a great saving in leather where brand marks or other imperfections occur in the leather.

In explanation of this, it may be stated that with the conventional blocking method now used, each individual sole blank is so narrow in the shank portion that unless it can be used for a full sole, it is practically worthless aside from cutting heel lifts or other blanks of little commercial value. Due

however, to the capacious area of leather afforded by one of my double sole blanks, the presence of a brand mark at any point of the blank will still not preclude the cutting of at least one full sole or one or two tap soles froma blank which is defective for double sole cutting purposes. Therefore, in cutting, brand marks, grub holes and similar defects are simply ignored and the workman cuts successive rows of blanks from a bend subse quently cutting valuable smaller blanks from those which prove defective upon inspection.

In rounding a pair of soles from a blank it is, of course, necessary to have a complete rounding margin in order that the rounding knives may have a chance to bite into the leather. Such a margin is afforded by the present invention but the rounding margin 20 (shown shaded in Fig. 2 merely to clearly distinguish it) between two soles is a common one, that is to say, after the sole '21 is cut as shown in dotted lines, the common rounding margin 20 is still left so that the second similar sole may be effectively rounded.

In cutting certain types of sole blanks, such for instance as blanks for welt shoes,

it is often undesirable to use the double blanking method and accordingly my invention provides means for economically utilizing substantially all of the leather in the bend for the cutting of interlocked single sole blanks when required. I

In this case I do not gain the economy afforded by a common rounding margin but I nevertheless utilize the available leather in a far more efficient manner than has heretofore been possible.

There may be cases where the requirements of the trade or the particular size and shape of the bend render it desirable or advisable to out both single and double blanks from the same section of skin.

Here it will be noted that the outer edge 34, 35 of a single blank mates with the edges A, C or B, D as the case may be or two double blanks.

While the present invention has been discussed in connection with double sole blanks and combinations thereof it will be obvious that similar principles may be embodied in single or multiple sole blanks from which, for instance, one or four soles could be cut with additional saving in rounding margins and that likewise, the principle of the common rounding margin may be advantageously applied to the cutting of tap sole blanks or blanks for other articles.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent is as follows:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a double sole blank having an enlarged central body portion with approximately straight opposite exposed sides and including rounded tongues projecting from opposite sides of said body portion in axial alignment with each other and with the central axis of the body portion. 1 i

2. As a new article ofmanufacture, a douwhat Letble sole blank havingan enlarged central body portion with approximately straight opposite exposed sidesand including rounded tongues projecting from opposite sides of said body portion 111 axial alignment with I each other and with the central axis of the body portion, said body portion being of general trapezoidal shape. p

3. As a new articleof manufacture, a double sole blank of irregular roughly hexagonal, contour, providing a central body and a pair of coaxial tongues projecting from the ends of the body, said blank being bisectible into similar sections of equal area on any axis intersecting the center of the blank.

4. A roughly six sided double sole blank adapted to snugly interfit with six similar surrounding blanks having axes parallel to the first one, said blank including a pair of approximately opposite straight edges defining opposite sides of a central body portion and having pairs of compoundly curvilinear edges defining coaxial tongues at" the ends of the body portion.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a'double sole blank of generally-hexagonal shape and having a contour closely approximating certain of the contours of the soles to be cut therefrom, said blank including a central enlarged body portion from which the fore parts of the soles are adapted to be cut and tongues at each portions of the soles are adapted to be cut, the six sides of the blank which are adapted for interfitting with six adjacent similar blanks comprising two approximately parallel edges at opposite sides of the body and V end from which the heel two'pairs of compoundly curvilinear edges defining the tongues.

Signed at New York in'the county of New York and State of New York this 4th day of March, A. D. 1930 MILTON DoUsHKEss. 

